Apparatus for depositing a solder strip on a base metal band



g- 19691 EQ J. KEICHLEIR ETAL 3,460,512

APPARATUS FOR DEPOSITING A SOLDER STRIP ON A BASE METAL BAND Filed Nov. 18, 1965 s Sheets-Sheet s I INVENTORS EDWIN J. KEICHLER CLIFFORD L. EMMERICH AT TORNEY5.

United States Patent US. Cl. 118-59 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for depositing a metal strip on a base metal including a pair of graphite bars biased against the metal base to form a pool of metal therebetween. A solder Wire is fed between the bars and melted by heaters in a plate which supports the metal base. Rotating rods have their ends contacting the strip to agitate the metal coating.

This invention relates to the deposition of a metallic strip on a metal band and particularly to apparatus for depositing a strip of solder on a band of base metal such as, for example, copper.

The main object of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved apparatus for depositing a strip of molten metal on a base metal band.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved apparatus for depositing one or more strips of solder on a band of beryllium-copper.

Still a further object of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved apparatus for continuously depositing a solder strip on a band of beryllium-copper.

The above and other objects, characteristics and features of the present invention will be more fully understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawing.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an apparatus embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan View of the solder block assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the stirring block assembly of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of said stirring block assembly.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, the apparatus 10 embodying the present invention includes a feed reel 12 having wound thereon a band of base metal material 13 such as copper, brass, beryllium-copper or the like, a fiuxing station 14 for depositing flux on said band 13 prior to soldering, a soldering block assembly 16 immediately downstream of said fluxing station, a solder strip agitation means 17, a cleaner 18, a strip thickness regulating means 19, a drive or advancing mechanism 20, and a take-up reel 22. The entire mechanism is mounted on a base plate 24 which supports a frame 26 including a main horizontal support member 28 and a vertical support plate 30. The supply reel 12 is mounted on an arm 32 supported by the horizontal member 28, which arm is connected to the reel by a pin or axle 34.

Fluxing station 14 includes a container 36 for a suitable liquid flux such as any conventional acid flux. The bottom 3,460,512 Patented Aug. 12, 1969 of the container 36 has a small orifice or opening 38 for feeding the flux from container 36 at a controlled rate to a fluxing roller 40 having an absorbent outer surface. Associated with the fluxing roller 40 is a pressure roller 42, the rollers being mounted on spindles 44 and 46, respectively, which are supported by vertical plate 30. It will be seen that as the band of base material 13 passes between rollers 40 and 42, the roller 40 having an absorbent surface which has been saturated with flux from the container 36 will deposit said flux on the full Width of the band 13, the pressure for making such an application being exerted by the pressing of the rollers 40 and 42.

Solder block assembly 16 is best illustrated in FIGS.

r 3, 4 and 5. Referring now to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, the solder block assembly includes a base plate or band support 48 having a suitable heating means 50 disposed therewithin for melting solder as will be more fully understood hereinafter. As shown herein, the heating means 50 includes a plurality of cartridge type resistance heaters 52 and 54 disposed in cavities 56 and 58 in said base plate 48. Of course, other heating means may be employed to melt the solder. Metal band 13 slides over the top surface of plate 48 and is supported thereby. Overlying the block 48 is a container block 60 having milled in the bottom surface 62 thereof a plurality of parallel, longitudinally extending grooves 64, 66, 68 and 70, which are arranged in two pairs, one pair for each solder strip. Disposed in each of the grooves 64 through 70 is an elongated graphite block 72, 74, 76 and 78, respectively, which define between them two channels 80, 82 for the reception and containment of molten solder. While other materials might be used in lieu of graphite, graphite is presently preferred because of its resistance to heat, its resistance to wetting by molten solder and its low coefiicient of friction. The graphite blocks 72 and 74 define the channel and the graphite blocks 76 and 78 define the channel 82. Naturally if only one strip of solder is to be deposited then only one pair of graphite blocks would be required. Moreover, if more than two strips of solder are to be deposited then the block 60 would have to be altered to provide for additional channels for additional pairs of graphite blocks. In any event, the graphite blocks provided serve primarily to define the transverse extent of the molten solder strip deposited in the channels 80 and 82 and to prevent the general smearing of the upper surface of the base metal band 13 by molten solder as it passes through the assembly 16.

In order to provide for suitable sealing, each of the graphite blocks 72, 74, 76 and 78 are spring biased by a pair of push rods 81, 83, 84 and 86, respectively, which are in turn spring biased by associated pairs of compression springs 88, 90, 92 and 84, respectively. Each of the compression springs is disposed in compression between a collar 96 on its associated push rod and a collar 98 on an associated adjusting screw 100 which is threadedly mounted in a bridging member 102 disposed above the main block 60. Each of the adjusting screws 100 may be turned within its threaded aperture in the bridging member 102 to adjust the degree of compression on the associated spring and hence the amount of pushing force exerted by the associated push rod against the graphite block. By adjusting the amount of compression exerted by the compression spring, a balance can be struck between the amount of retarding friction exerted against the base metal band 13 and the amount of sealing force required to contain the solder strips Within the passages 80 and 82. As shown herein, each of the bridging members 102 is supported in vertically spaced relation with the upper surface of the block 60 by means of spacer members 104 and 106 and threaded studs 108 and 10 which pass through the bridging member 102 and through the spacer members 104 and 106, respectively, and into the body of the block 60. It will also be observed that there are two bridging members 102 one on the upstream side of the solder block assembly 16 and one on the downstream side thereof in order to provide an even distribution of force along the entire length of the graphite blocks 72 to 78, respectively.

Means are provided for supplying solder preferably in wire form to the solder block assembly where it is melted by the heating elements 52 and 54 as previously described. The solder supply means includes a pair of supply reels 112 and 113 which have extending therefrom solder wires 114 and 116, respectively, each of which wires passes through a pair of rollers, a drive roller 118 and an idler roller 120 for continuously feeding said solder wires to the solder block assembly 16. The solder wires, after passing between their drive and idler rollers, extend downwardly and pass into the solder block assembly through passages 122 and 124 which pass down through the block 60 and have their lower ends in communication with the solder passages 80 and 82 defined by the associated graphite blocks. Due to the presence of heat generated by the heating elements 52 and 54 in the base plate 48, the solder in between the graphite blocks will melt and distribute itself in the passages 80 and 82 to the extent permitted by the associated spring pressed graphite blocks. As will be understood in more detail hereinafter, by regulating the relative speeds of movement of the base metal band 13, and the solder wires 114 and 116 the amount of solder deposited per unit length for each strip can be regulated.

Immediately downstream of the solder depositing station of the solder block assembly, the solder strips hereinafter designated as strips 124 and 126, pass to the agitation station 17 which is provided to uniformly distribute the molten solder along the full width of the strips 124 and 126 and to further provide a scouring action which assists the running action of the flux and thereby insures a strong bond between the solder and the base metal band. In addition, it has been found that the agitation means tends to reduce the build-up of dross by causing the flux residues to drift downstream along with the solder strips.

While the agitation means may take any of a number of acceptable forms, the presently preferred form of agitation means is illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7. The movement of the agitation means may be independent of the timed movement of the base metal band 13 and the solder wires 114 and 116. Accordingly, the agitation means may be driven independently of the synchronized drive mechanism to be described hereinafter for the base metal band and solder wire. This independent drive is presently preferred and it is illustrated in FIG. 1 as an electric motor 130 having an output shaft 132. Of course, if desired, the motor power may be provided by the main motor of the apparatus.

Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, the output shaft 132 of the motor 130 has fixed thereto for rotation therewith a worm 134 which is in engagement with four worm wheels 136, 138, 140 and 142. The worm wheels 136 to 142 are the upper portions of vertically extending tubes 144, 146, 148 and 150, respectively, which are journaled for rotation about a vertical axis in a suitable support and bearing block 151. Tubes 144 and 146 are both in register with the solder strip passage 80 and solder strip 124 formed therein and tubes 148 and 150 are both in alignment with solder strip passage 82 and solder strip 126 formed therein. Each of the tubes is adapted to receive an agitation member or rod 152 which is supported by the tube and rotates therewith and has its lower surface resting on the exposed upper surface of the metal band 13 and biased into contact with the solder strip 124 or 126 as by gravity. When the motor 130 is energized to rotate its output shaft 132, worm 134 will turn and thereby impart rotary movement to the tubes 144, 146, 148 and 150 which in turn will rotate their respective agitation rods 152 to thereby provide the necessary agitation of the molten solder strips 124 and 126 in between the graphite blocks 72-74 and 7678. Preferably the stirring members are steel rods which fit through the bores of the tubes 144- to 156, although the bottom surface of the rods could be provided with a suitable brushing means. Naturally if desired other types of agitation means engaging the molten solder strips 124 and 126 and the upper surfaces of the metal band 13 underlying said strips could be employed without departing from the present invention.

After the solder strips 124 and 126 have been agitated and spread by the agitation means 17, the advancing band 13 now provided with the solder strips moves out from the solder block assembly 16 and away from the heating means 52 and 54 to thereby permit the solder strips to cool and harden on the base metal band 13. This occurs quite rapidly. Thereafter, the solder striped metal band passes around a guide roller 154 and down into the cleaner 18 which removes flux and other impurities which may have found their way onto the metal band.

After cleaning, the solder striped metal band passes upwardly out of the cleaner 18 and about another guide roller 156 and thence through a strip thickness regulating means or shaving station 19 comprising a rotatable pressure roller 160 and a sharp knife edged member 162. The spacing between the knife edge member 162 and the roller 160 is adjustable and by so adjusting the spacing the thickness of the solder Strips 124 and 126 can be determined with close tolerance. If a thin solder strip is desired, then the knife edge member 162 is moved closer to the roller 160 and if a greater thickness is desired, the knife blade may be moved away. The adjustment may 'be effected by mounting the knife edge member 162 in a split block 164 which releasably clampingly holds knife 162. When adjustment is desired the clamping force can be reduced for vertical adjustment of the knife edge relative to the roller 160.

The striped and shaved band 13, after passing through the shaving station 19, passes between a main drive roller 168 and its associated pressure roller 166 which between them provide the moving force for pulling the strip through all of the previously described apparatus and for pushing the band towards the take-up reel 22 which is rotatably mounted on an arm 170 extending upwardly at an angle from the horizontal support plate 128.

As previously noted, the thickness of the solder strips 124 and 126 can be relatively well regulated by regulating the relative speeds of movement of the band 13 and the solder wires 114 and 116. This may be accomplished by driving the solder wire drive wheel 118 at a predetermined rotational speed which is related to the speed of the main drive roller 168 for the base metal band 13. In the presently described apparatus, this is effected by providing a main drive motor 172 having an output shaft 174 having a sprocket 176 thereon and a spur gear 178. Disposed about the sprocket 176 is a chain 180 which passes around a second sprocket 182 mounted on the shaft 184 for the solder wire drive roller 118. The spur gear 178 is in meshed relation with a spur gear 186 mounted on the shaft 188 of the drive roller 168. By selecting the appropriate gear ratios between gears 178 and 186 and correlating this gear ratio with the speed alteration effected by the use of the chain 180 and the sprockets 176 and 182, as well as taking into account the diameters of the drive rollers 118 and 168, a coordinated feed of the solder wires and the base metal band can be effected. This control is primarily volumetric and works satisfactorily by itself. However, the shaving station 19 may be included to eliminate any high spots which might result from possible unequal distribution of the solder along the respective strips.

While the preferred method of containing the molten solder within the bounds defined by the graphite bars previously described is eminently satisfactory, other means of limiting the width of the solder strips may be employed.

For example, if desired, graphite mixed with a suitable adhesive binder may be printed as pairs of graphite stripes on to the base metal band 13 in advance of the soldering step. Thereafter, the solder may be deposited between each pair of graphite stripes which will serve to contain the solder therebetween. At some subsequent point in the operation of the machine after formation of the solder strips, the graphite stripes may be removed as by spraying them with a suitable solvent for the binder and flushing away the dissolved material.

What we claim is:

1. Apparatus for continuously depositing a solder strip on a base metal band, comprising means for advancing said base metal band, a pair of spaced apart means for defining the transverse extent of said solder strip, means for feeding solder to said band between said pair of means, means for melting said solder, and means for agitating said molten solder between said pair of strip defining means.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said solder feeding means comprises supply means for solder wire, and roller means engageable with said solder wire for advancing said solder wire from said supply means to said band.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising means for jointly controlling the rate of rotation of said roller means and the rate of advance of said base metal band, whereby to control the volume per linear unit of said solder strip.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising means for removing a portion of said solder strip for controlling the thickness thereof, said means for removing a portion of said solder strip being located downstream of said agitating means.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for depositing flux on said base metal band, said flux depositing means being located in advance of said solder feeding means.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said agitation means comprises a vertically extending rod with the lower portion disposed between said spaced apart means and engageable with said band, and means for rotating said rod.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for supporting said base metal band, and wherein said pair of strip defining means defining the transverse extent of said solder strip comprises a pair of parallel graphite bars extending in the direction of advance of said base metal band and disposed above said band support means, and means for biasing said graphite bars toward said band support means.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said means for melting said solder wire comprises a resistive heating element disposed within said means for supporting said base metal band.

9. Apparatus for continuously depositing a solder strip on a base metal band, comprising a supply reel for supplying a continuous length of said base metal band, a take-up reel for receiving said base metal band, a drive roller engageable with said base metal band for advancing said band from said supply reel to said take-up reel, 3. pair of spaced apart means for defining the transverse extent of said solder strip, solder wire supply means, a drive roller engageable with said solder wire for advancing the solder wire from said solder wire supply means to said band ata location between said pair of strip defining means, means for melting said solder adjacent said location, and means for jointly regulating the rates of rotation of said base metal band drive roller and said solder wire drive roller, whereby to control the thickness of the solder strip.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a vertically extending rod having its lower end engageable with said base metal band in between said pair of strip defining means and adjacent said location, and means for rotating said rod, whereby to scour said base metal band and agitate the molten solder.

11. Apparatus for continuously depositing a solder strip of predetermined transverse extent on a base metal band of a width greater than said predetermined transverse extent, comprising means for advancing said base metal band, a pair of means engageable with the upper surface of said metal band for defining the transverse eX- tent of said solder strip, said pair of means being spaced apart by a distance equal to said transverse extent, means for feeding solder to said hand between said pair of spaced apart means, means for melting said solder be tween said spaced apart means and means for biasing said spaced apart means into melted solder tight engagement with said band.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said pair of strip defining means defining the transverse extent of said solder strip comprises a pair of parallel graphite bars extending in the direction of advance of said base metal band and disposed above said band support means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,015,154 9/1935 Palm.

1,142,856 6/1915 Stoddard et a1 118-74 1,43 8,285 12/ 1922 Anderson 228-41 2,054,971 9/1936 Fausek et al. 228-41 2,657,932 11/1953 Blaney.

3,033,160 5/1962 Steidinger 118-411 WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner JOHN P. MCINTOSH, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

